Rescue Squad holds 35th anniversary

PARAGOULD, AR (KAIT) -The Greene County Rescue Squad celebrated their 35th anniversary Sunday, and members past and present were there.

The squad is entirely volunteer, and they respond to emergencies all around Greene County to help out EMS with things like finding missing people, or freeing trapped car accident victims.

“I’m just amazed that we’ve been able to grow like we have and continue to help people," Greene County Rescue Squad founder Butch Heath said. "The community has been behind us since day one, from the initial time that we started.”

All of the squad's money is from donations.

They may have a lot of equipment now, but when Heath started in 1983, he made his first rescue call in his 1968 Pontiac GTO.

Heath got involved with helping people because of his family business.

“My folks operated a funeral home as I have, we operated the ambulance service in their old days,” Heath said. “That’s how I got into EMS, and I’ve loved the opportunity to assist people in that situation.”